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Upgrade path for son's Gaming PC

John Cutburth
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I am wanting to upgrade my son's gaming PC. I am not sure what questions need to be answered so I have added his current specs below. 

We have a budget of around $300 to $400 but I don't want to waste money on unneeded upgrades or buy a graphics card that would be underutilized because of CPU/RAM speeds.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Just a note on the Monitor I know for gaming the 60 Hz sucks but be has extreme vision issues and the larger monitor is a must.

 

Processor  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------      
    manufacturer        Intel(R) Corporation
    model            Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6500 CPU @ 3.20GHz
    clock speed        3200.0 MHz
    FSB speed        100.0 MHz
    multiplier        32.0x

 

Display adapter

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name            NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB
Board Manufacturer    EVGA Corp.
Revision        A1
Memory size        3 GB
Memory type        GDDR5

 

Memory   

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Manufacturer   Kingston
Memory Type            DDR4
Memory Size            8 GBytes
Channels            Single
Memory Frequency        1064.1 MHz (1:16)

 

Mainboard

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

manufacturer        MSI

Mainboard Model        B150I GAMING PRO AC (MS-7995) (0x000006C5 - 0x43F0CF10)

 

Drive    0

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name            WDC WD10EZEX-00WN4A0    

Revision        01.01A01    

Capacity        931.5 GB   

Bus Type        SATA (11)

Rotation speed        7200 RPM

 

Drive    1

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name            ST2000DM006-2DM164

Revision        CC26    

Capacity        1863.0 GB    

Type            Fixed    

Bus Type        SATA (11)    

Rotation speed        7200 RPM

 

Monitor 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Model            C32F391 (Samsung)    

Size            31.5 inches    

Max Resolution        1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz    

Horizontal Freq. Range    30-81 kHz    

Vertical Freq. Range    50-60 Hz    

Max Pixel Clock        170 MHz    

Gamma Factor        2.2


Software
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Windows Version            Microsoft Windows 10 (10.0) Professional 64-bit   (Build 18362) 
DirectX Version            12.0

 

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https://linustechtips.com/topic/1127769-upgrade-path-for-sons-gaming-pc/
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15 minutes ago, John Cutburth said:

 

That GPU is fine for a 1080p 60hz display. Just grab a cheap RX 5700 in the future with a 1080p 144hz display or ultra wide or something.


Probably want to replace the CPU first, only going to help in some games with fps drops mostly.

Can just buy the SSD and CPU Cooler later, or there's always pay pal credit with 0% interest over 6-12 months...
 

PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/rWzY9G

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($194.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Deepcool NEPTWIN V2.0 53.65 CFM CPU Cooler  ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI X570-A PRO ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 Memory  ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Patriot Scorch 512 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive  ($57.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $491.96

And is the power supply standard ATX with a decent wattage and stuff?

I edit my posts a lot, Twitter is @LordStreetguru just don't ask PC questions there mostly...
 

Spoiler

 

What is your budget/country for your new PC?

 

what monitor resolution/refresh rate?

 

What games or other software do you need to run?

 

 

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Posted
13 minutes ago, John Cutburth said:

I am wanting to upgrade my son's gaming PC. I am not sure what questions need to be answered so I have added his current specs below. 

We have a budget of around $300 to $400 but I don't want to waste money on unneeded upgrades or buy a graphics card that would be underutilized because of CPU/RAM speeds.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Just a note on the Monitor I know for gaming the 60 Hz sucks but be has extreme vision issues and the larger monitor is a must.

which case do you have? which country?

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Heatsink: Gelid Phantom Black GPU: Palit RTX 3060 Ti Dual RAM: Corsair DDR4 2x8GB 3000Mhz mobo: Asus X570-P case: Fractal Design Define C PSU: Superflower Leadex Gold 650W

 

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1 hour ago, John Cutburth said:

I am wanting to upgrade my son's gaming PC. I am not sure what questions need to be answered so I have added his current specs below. 

We have a budget of around $300 to $400 but I don't want to waste money on unneeded upgrades or buy a graphics card that would be underutilized because of CPU/RAM speeds.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Just a note on the Monitor I know for gaming the 60 Hz sucks but be has extreme vision issues and the larger monitor is a must.

 

Processor  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------      
    manufacturer        Intel(R) Corporation
    model            Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6500 CPU @ 3.20GHz
    clock speed        3200.0 MHz
    FSB speed        100.0 MHz
    multiplier        32.0x

 

Display adapter

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name            NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB
Board Manufacturer    EVGA Corp.
Revision        A1
Memory size        3 GB
Memory type        GDDR5

 

Memory   

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Manufacturer   Kingston
Memory Type            DDR4
Memory Size            8 GBytes
Channels            Single
Memory Frequency        1064.1 MHz (1:16)

 

Mainboard

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

manufacturer        MSI

Mainboard Model        B150I GAMING PRO AC (MS-7995) (0x000006C5 - 0x43F0CF10)

 

Drive    0

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name            WDC WD10EZEX-00WN4A0    

Revision        01.01A01    

Capacity        931.5 GB   

Bus Type        SATA (11)

Rotation speed        7200 RPM

 

Drive    1

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name            ST2000DM006-2DM164

Revision        CC26    

Capacity        1863.0 GB    

Type            Fixed    

Bus Type        SATA (11)    

Rotation speed        7200 RPM

 

Monitor 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Model            C32F391 (Samsung)    

Size            31.5 inches    

Max Resolution        1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz    

Horizontal Freq. Range    30-81 kHz    

Vertical Freq. Range    50-60 Hz    

Max Pixel Clock        170 MHz    

Gamma Factor        2.2


Software
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Windows Version            Microsoft Windows 10 (10.0) Professional 64-bit   (Build 18362) 
DirectX Version            12.0

 

I would start with an SSD and another stick of RAM to run dual channel. this should improve fps by 15% or so.

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10 hours ago, dgsddfgdfhgs said:

is this a mini itx build? any space limitations?

also only one stick of ram sucks

Yes it is Mini IYX.

I build 2 twin systems for my 2 boys back when you had to sell a kid to buy ram (I sure will miss that third kid). I found a deal on a 16gb pack so they both got 8gb

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9 hours ago, boggy77 said:

I would start with an SSD and another stick of RAM to run dual channel. this should improve fps by 15% or so.

Would the games need to be installed on the SSD to get this performance improvement or just the OS?

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PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($114.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450 I AORUS PRO WIFI Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard  ($116.00 @ Amazon) 
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: TCSunBow X3 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($27.99 @ Amazon) just as a boot drive. You don't get any performance improvement, but it makes the rig more responsive.
Total: $308.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-11-26 20:22 EST-0500

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Heatsink: Gelid Phantom Black GPU: Palit RTX 3060 Ti Dual RAM: Corsair DDR4 2x8GB 3000Mhz mobo: Asus X570-P case: Fractal Design Define C PSU: Superflower Leadex Gold 650W

 

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7 hours ago, John Cutburth said:

Would the games need to be installed on the SSD to get this performance improvement or just the OS?

The OS will boot much faster on the SSD.  Games on the SSD would have shorter loading times, but the benefit depends on his patience level.  Putting the games on SSD will not change FPS at all.

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7 hours ago, Herman Mcpootis said:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($114.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte B450 I AORUS PRO WIFI Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard  ($116.00 @ Amazon) 
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: TCSunBow X3 240 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($27.99 @ Amazon) just as a boot drive. You don't get any performance improvement, but it makes the rig more responsive.
Total: $308.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-11-26 20:22 EST-0500

WOW this is a completely different direction then I would have thought. I was thinking of just upgrading the GPU and most of the suggestions having me keeping it.


We are rethinking the budget for his build. If my budget was about $450 to $500 what would you do different on this list.


Also the Power supply is a EVGA 600 B1, 80+ Bronze 600W

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23 minutes ago, John Cutburth said:

WOW this is a completely different direction then I would have thought. I was thinking of just upgrading the GPU and most of the suggestions having me keeping it.


We are rethinking the budget for his build. If my budget was about $450 to $500 what would you do different on this list.


Also the Power supply is a EVGA 600 B1, 80+ Bronze 600W

you can add in a used vega 56 off ebay, though i'm not sure if i'd trust the EVGA B1 to power it.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Heatsink: Gelid Phantom Black GPU: Palit RTX 3060 Ti Dual RAM: Corsair DDR4 2x8GB 3000Mhz mobo: Asus X570-P case: Fractal Design Define C PSU: Superflower Leadex Gold 650W

 

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2 minutes ago, Herman Mcpootis said:

you can add in a used vega 56 off ebay, though i'm not sure if i'd trust the EVGA B1 to power it.

Also, I am not sure if that would fit in the case.

Would there be a benefit to swapping out the 2600 for the 3600 and if I did that would I need to up the clock speed of the ram?

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10 minutes ago, John Cutburth said:

Also, I am not sure if that would fit in the case.

Would there be a benefit to swapping out the 2600 for the 3600 and if I did that would I need to up the clock speed of the ram?

pcpartpicker has some builds with the reference vega 64 fitting just fine, it should fit. you get a decent performance bump but you also pay quite a bit more. better to spend the extra $200 on a better GPU.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Heatsink: Gelid Phantom Black GPU: Palit RTX 3060 Ti Dual RAM: Corsair DDR4 2x8GB 3000Mhz mobo: Asus X570-P case: Fractal Design Define C PSU: Superflower Leadex Gold 650W

 

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Thank you everyone for the help you have provided me.


@Herman Mcpootis I have taken the build you provided for me and made a few changes. I also added my existing parts so I could make sure it was all going to work. I would love you opinion before I pull the trigger.

 

PCPartPicker Part List
Type Item Price
CPU AMD Ryzen 5 2600X 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor $119.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard ASRock Fatal1ty B450 Gaming-ITX/ac Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard $89.99 @ Newegg
Memory Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory $62.99 @ Amazon
Storage Intel 660p Series 1.02 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive $82.99 @ Newegg
Storage Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive Purchased For $0.00
Storage Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive Purchased For $0.00
Video Card EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB 3 GB SC GAMING Video Card Purchased For $0.00
Case Thermaltake Core V1 Mini ITX Desktop Case Purchased For $0.00
Power Supply EVGA 600B 600 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply Purchased For $0.00
Operating System Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit Purchased For $0.00
Monitor Samsung S32E590C 31.5" 1920x1080 60 Hz Monitor Purchased For $0.00
  Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts  
  Total (before mail-in rebates) $375.96
  Mail-in rebates -$20.00
  Total $355.96
  Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-11-29 17:37 EST-0500  

 

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Everything looks fine.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Heatsink: Gelid Phantom Black GPU: Palit RTX 3060 Ti Dual RAM: Corsair DDR4 2x8GB 3000Mhz mobo: Asus X570-P case: Fractal Design Define C PSU: Superflower Leadex Gold 650W

 

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